University College London Study Shows Listening to Books is More Emotionally Engaging Than Viewing Films or TV

University College London (UCL), London’s oldest university widely known for its highly regarded research, announced the results of a study today that indicates listening to audiobooks is more emotionally engaging than watching film or TV. Working in collaboration with Audible, the world’s leading provider and producer of spoken-word entertainment, UCL researchers tested scenes from well-known stories across crime, sci-fi, fantasy, action and classical genres on 103 participants aged 18 – 67 to gauge the physiological impact of auditory vs visual storytelling mediums. In-depth analysis of physiological data, as well as participants’ biological response, revealed that listening to audiobooks on Audible elicited a more intense physiological and emotional reaction than watching a screen. Across all genres and demographics, the study revealed no discernible difference in results between different genres, or between participants of different demographics.

Segments used were from eight blockbusters and bestsellers: A Game of Thrones, The Girl on the Train, Pride and Prejudice, The Silence of the Lambs, Great Expectations, The Da Vinci Code, The Hound of the Baskervilles, and Alien. Specific scenes were tested based on emotional intensity, comparative length and similarity of narrative (i.e. minimal differences in the storyline between audio and video adaptations). Researchers tracked conscious responses to the audio and video clips through a variety of surveys, while measuring heart rate and electrodermal activity with Empatica E4 biometric sensors. These two physiological signals can reveal cognitive processing and sub-conscious emotional arousal in the brain.

“Listening to a story on Audible produced greater emotional and physiological engagement than watching the scene on a screen, as measured by both heart rate and electro-dermal activity,” said Dr. Joseph Devlin, Head of Experimental Psychology at UCL and lead researcher on the project, “Though participants surveyed assumed they were less engaged, the biometric sensors indicate otherwise. Having concluded the first phase of our multi-stage study with Audible, it seems as though the heart really does tell the story.”

“Audible was founded because we believe deeply in the impact that powerful listening experiences can have on hearts and minds,” said Audible CEO and Founder, Don Katz. “This first phase of UCL research confirms what millions of Audible listeners already know—the spoken word enthrals, entertains, inspires and most importantly, moves us like nothing else."